If you haven’t already, you will want to confirm your intent to enroll by paying your $200 Advance Tuition Deposit (ATD). You must pay this before registering for a START program. Depositing your ATD online is the easiest and fastest way to submit the funds. Go to http://infosu.oregonstate.edu/login and enter your student ID and General Access Pin (GAP). Once you’ve accessed the system, click Admissions then Pay Advance Tuition Deposit and follow the instructions. As of May 1, 2012 your deposit is non-refundable.

After you have completed this, you may now register for your START orientation.  START is Oregon State’s new student orientation, advising and registration program for incoming students. START is the first of three steps to making a successful transition into the OSU community. Each START program provides students and their family members with the opportunity to connect with campus resources, meet with an academic advisor, and register for Fall term courses.

Some of you might be thinking though, “What if mysummer schedule is really packed?”  Well, we offer several dates throughout the summer for both First Year and Transfer Students to attend. We also offer START on the Road programs in California, Alaska and Hawaii for students who cannot attend the START programs provided on campus. Also, if you cannot attend any of these dates, you can attend START @ CONNECT on September 19^th, 2012 on campus.

To learn more about START and to find the program date and location that would work best for you, visit our website at: http://oregonstate.edu/newstudents/start/home .

Registration for START begins May ^1st for students who have paid their Advanced Tuition Deposit (ATD). To register visit: http://oregonstate.edu/newstudents .

-BM

-KT

To our Community College Partners:
I want to bring to your attention a scholarship opportunity for students transferring from a Community College in Oregon to the University Honors College at Oregon State University. This opportunity is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant supports students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) disciplines who have unmet financial need. Up to 20 one-year scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded for each of the next four years. Scholarship awardees will participate in a program designed to enhance their transition to the University.

We are now recruiting the second group of transfer students. Applications to the University Honors College are due by Feb. 1st. So we are asking your help in getting the word out. If you know of specific students who might be interested and eligible, please forward the attached poster or have them contact me directly. We would be most grateful if you would print and post the attached poster, announce the program in class, forward the poster to appropriate list serves, or otherwise help us to get the word out. And, if there would be a convenient time for one of us to come to your campus and discuss the program, please let us know.

In addition to the attached poster advertising the program, we have also attached a brief fact sheet with additional information about the program. You can visit the scholarship web page at to learn more about the program and to find the on-line application. And, of course, you can contact me directly.

I look forward to working with you to identify deserving and qualified students to take advantage of this opportunity.
Dan Arp,
Dean, University Honors College

Transition to University and Careers Program
Oregon State University

NSF Grant: Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)
Duration: April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2015
Objective: The Transition to University and Careers Program aims to enhance successful transition for qualified science, technology, engineering and mathematics students from any Community College (including the seventeen partner Community Colleges in Oregon) to the University Honors College at Oregon State University. Scholars will participate in a program to ease the transition to University life.
Scholarship: One year, up to $5,000. Up to 20 scholarships awarded annually.
Application:
Applicants must:
•Currently be enrolled in a Community College. (Degree Partnership students are welcome.)
•Have a cumulative college GPA of at least 3.25.
•Have unmet financial need as documented by FAFSA.
•Transfer to OSU (Corvallis campus) with a declared major in one of the STEM disciplines.
•Apply to the University Honors College by February 1st.
•Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

OSU Faculty Participants:
Dan Arp, University Honors College
Skip Rochefort, Chemical Engineering
Jim Liburdy, Mechanical Engineering
Kevin Ahern, Biochemistry and Biophysics
Janine Trempy, Microbiology

For more information:
University Honors College, visit oregonstate.edu/dept/honors/
or contact Gildha Cumming at 541-737-6400, gildha.cumming@oregonstate.edu
Transition to University Careers Program, contact Dan Arp, 541-737-6400 dan.j.arp@oregonstate.edu

-bv

My trip to Oregon State University was very special to me. I was deciding whether to go to WSU or Oregon State, and when I went on a tour to Oregon State, I saw many great things about it. I saw the awesome campus and also the really nice students. I also have a chance to get a double degree for a area in mathematics and one in teaching. Oregon State is the place for me to continue my education.—Daniel Bienapfl

Had they visited last Friday afternoon, they would’ve been treated to an MJ performance by our own Carl Thomas right outside the Campus Visitor Center.

Beaver Open House is on Saturday, November 21st. It’s an all day program and a great way to immerse yourself in what OSU has to offer. Or you can set up your own visit. Either way, we hope to see you on campus!

Fall visit

-bv

Janet Killen invested $5,500 and four years of her life getting what she thought was a master’s degree in nursing education from a Caldwell online college.

When she presented her degree in 2007 to Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., where she teaches nursing, she was dumbfounded when administrators told her it was worthless in her state.

Moreover, Oregon state officials told her she must stop touting the diploma she received from Canyon College or she could face civil and criminal penalties for using an invalid degree. She has to notify a hospital where she works that her degree is not recognized in Oregon.

The Canyon College case actually provides a perfect transition to a discussion of why unaccredited work isn’t accepted in transfer here at OSU and at other regionally accredited colleges and universities. The regional accreditation bodies are critical to the functioning of our Education system because they are responsible for ensuring that the quality of education is consistent across their member institutions.

In order to protect the quality of education at the institution OSU can only accept credit/degrees in transfer from other regionally accredited institutions. It is important to note that the refusal to accept transfer work from unaccredited institutions doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality of education at those schools is substandard. However, we simply will not accept credit that we cannot verify is up to the standard of quality for regionally accredited schools.

The reality is this: there are a ton of diploma and accreditation scams out there designed to take advantage of folks who are seeking to better themselves with a college degree. The only way to protect yourself is to do independent research with the U.S. Department of Education.

If you are planning to complete work at another institution that you intend to transfer to OSU and are unsure as to whether the school is regionally accredited, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at the Office of Admissions.

Leave your comments and questions below!

-jm